COVID-19 vaccination is available to children age 6 months and older to give them protection against serious COVID-19 illness.
For people under 16, a parent or legal guardian must give consent for their vaccination.
Where to get your child vaccinated
There are different ways to get your child vaccinated, depending on their age.
Who should get vaccinated
We particularly recommend that your child gets their first round of COVID-19 vaccination if they:
- have a weak immune system
- have a health condition that puts them at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19
But all parents should consider getting their child vaccinated. Getting your child vaccinated is a decision between you and your child.
There are different recommendations for the seasonal COVID-19 booster dose.
Benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccine
COVID-19 vaccination should protect your child from getting seriously ill from COVID-19 if they are at higher risk from COVID-19.
It may also protect healthy children from:
- COVID-19 illness which can be severe in very rare cases
- multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), also called PIMS, a rare COVID-19 complication that can affect children
- ‘long COVID' symptoms, such as fatigue, which can continue for weeks or months
- spreading COVID-19 to others
If your child is vaccinated they will be less likely to miss school, childcare and other activities because of being ill with COVID-19.
COVID-19 infection
Most children who get COVID-19 have very mild symptoms or no symptoms. But children who get COVID-19 need to avoid contact with other people even if their symptoms are mild.
Serious illness is rare
COVID-19 rarely causes serious illness, hospitalisation or death in children. The risk of a child needing hospital care because of COVID-19 is low. The risk of a child needing intensive care treatment is extremely low.
Serious illness and hospitalisation rates are low for children age 6 months to 4 years. But they are higher than in older children.
Children with certain health conditions are at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. They are more likely to have to go to hospital with COVID-19.
Sometimes, symptoms linked to COVID-19 can continue for weeks or months. This is called long COVID. The risk of having long COVID is lower in children compared to adults.
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome or PIMS
In rare cases, COVID-19 can cause a condition called multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C). This is also known as PIMS. It causes pneumonia, inflammation of the heart and difficulty breathing. PIMS is more rarely seen following Omicron variant COVID-19 infection.
COVID-19 vaccination has been shown to reduce the risk of MIS-C or PIMS in older children and adolescents. A similar benefit is expected in children age 6 months to 4 years.
About 3 out of 4 children who develop MIS-C or PIMS have no underlying health condition. Most children with PIMS recover after time in hospital or intensive care. But some children have lasting side effects and a very small number can die. This condition is known to affect children as young as 3 months.
If your child had MIS-C or PIMS
If your child is 6 months or older and had PIMS, they can get a COVID-19 vaccine. They should wait until they have recovered and at least 90 days after they were diagnosed.
If your child is getting other vaccines
If your child under age 5 is getting their routine childhood vaccines, they should wait 14 days before getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
If your child has recently had the mpox vaccine, wait 4 weeks before they get their COVID-19 vaccine. This is a precaution because of the unknown risk of myocarditis.
Side effects
COVID-19 vaccines can cause side effects. Most of these are mild or moderate in children and do not last long. Side effects can include a sore arm, fever or tiredness.
Giving consent for vaccination
Anyone under 16 must attend their vaccination with a parent or legal guardian.
A parent or legal guardian must be there in person to give consent. You need to give consent for each dose.
The child getting the vaccine will also be asked if they want to get the vaccine at their appointment.
The vaccinator can answer questions you might have about the vaccine.
If it's not possible for a parent or legal guardian to be at the appointment, freephone HSELive for advice: 1800 700 700.
Registering your child
You can register your child at their appointment. This must be done by a parent or legal guardian. You will need to bring their PPS number with you. You only need to do this for dose 1.
Your first appointment will be a few minutes longer but you do not need to arrive earlier.
Children with additional needs
Some children getting their vaccine may need:
- more time at their appointment
- a quieter appointment time with fewer people
If your child has additional needs, call HSELive for advice.
Freephone: 1800 700 700
If you decide not to get your child vaccinated
If you decide not to get your child vaccinated, there is a greater risk of them getting COVID-19. Their symptoms will most likely be mild but they may miss school, childcare and other activities.
You will need to take extra care to protect your child against COVID-19.